


Day Three Hundred Seventeen || Intense Flavor

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [317]
Category: Naruto, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Vampires, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 03:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21487843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Maybe it's an inappropriate thing to ask a vampire, but...she's curious!
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Sasuke
Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [317]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1235528
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Day Three Hundred Seventeen || Intense Flavor

**Author's Note:**

> (This is a sequel to days 35, 44, 52, 80, 82, 105, 115, 133, 159, 162, 188, 193, 289, 298, 307, and 310!)

“Do you mind if I ask you something a little...odd?”

The question earns a snort. “You really think there’s much left between us that can be considered odd anymore?”

“Well, it...um…”

Sasuke glances over to his companion, watching Hinata fiddle her fingers. She’s been a lot more...curious as of late. Asking all sorts of things about him, and his world: that being the world of monsters, given that Sasuke is indeed a vampire.

Of course...Hinata isn’t wholly human herself. She’s a fading specie known by most as witches, or miko specifically in Japan.

And oh the trouble these two have been in the last several months because of it all. Humans, after all, aren’t allowed to know about the world of monsters - Nightwalkers, as they call themselves. But Hinata isn’t human - not by the standards of their laws, at least.

But the grey area - the between-the-lines - has made things...difficult for them both.

For now, however, Sasuke decides to consider the present rather than the past.

“Come on, out with it - now you’ve got me curious.”

“I was just...wondering. The night you, um...you got hurt?”

Sasuke blinks. “...the silver wound.”

“I...yes. And you...you bit me.”

“Yeah.”

Her cheeks go a bit pink at his blunt tone. “...how come that didn’t, um...make me into a vampire…?”

“Because I wasn’t in the right physical state.”

“Oh…?”

The Uchiha sighs. “People like me have several...well, states. It varies a bit by specie, but we’ll talk about vampires for now. We have what most call our facade state: to anyone looking, we appear human. Other Nightwalkers can tell, mostly by scent, but a human wouldn’t notice anything off about us. We’d just be another person walking by.

“A step up from that is shifting. What that entails is the most varied by specie. For vampires, as a humanoid class of Nightwalker, it means mostly subtle differences. Our eyes turn red, our fangs elongate, and that’s about it.”

“You can’t turn into a bat?”

At the interruption, Sasuke gives a loud snort. “Uh...no. The only reason that comparison is made is because vampire bats are the most common creature humans know that suck blood. At least they don’t think we turn into ticks or mosquitos or something.”

For a moment, Hinata actually looks a little disappointed.

“Anyway…” Sasuke backtracks mentally for a second. “So, shifting. That doesn’t actually make us able to ‘infect’ other people with vampirism.”

“It doesn’t?”

“No, but most people _think_ it does. Even other Nightwalkers...probably because we’re one of the species most associated with biting. Many think the same about werewolves. But that’s not true. To ‘infect’ someone...you have to go a bit further.”

Sasuke’s expression sobers slightly. “...the night I was wounded, and came to you for help...I’d been fighting hunters in the city: humans, typically tied to a religious sect, that hunt Nightwalkers as...demons, or monsters, or what have you. It used to be pretty common and open in the west, but it’s mostly underground anymore, like we are. An open confrontation isn’t in their favor, either. But they _do_ make coordinated strikes...as do we. It’s a cold war that’s not quite so cold. Just...hidden from human eyes.

“Anyway...I got hurt. But specifically, I got hurt with silver. For whatever reason, silver affects Nightwalker flesh - _all_ of us, not just those like vampires and werewolves - far more severely than any other substance. Flesh touched by that metal won’t heal. And if you have metal _in_ you, you can’t shift. If you’re in a human guise, you’re stuck that way. If you’re shifted, you’re stuck that way. Clearly not a good thing. So...since I was hit by a silver bullet, I couldn’t shift, and I couldn’t heal. I was trapped in my vampire appearance.

“And silver wounds? They hurt like nothing else. It’s like...fire, and electricity, and blades all at once. Nothing compares, and I’ve had my share of wounds over the years. Thankfully I’ve only ever tasted silver twice. But that pain...can drive you to your last physical state: a frenzied state.”

Genuine wariness colors Hinata’s expression. “...frenzied…?”

“It’s basically a reversion to our most base instincts. In many ways...we become the monsters humans like to paint us as. It’s a last resort for a huge boost in power, survivability...but you lose control of yourself. You literally became a mindless, bloodthirsty beast...at least until the threat has passed. It’s only then that a Nightwalker’s bite is able to pass on their..._mutation_, for lack of a better word.”

Hinata goes quiet for a long moment, clearly, putting two and two together. “...so when you said you were struggling to stay in control…”

“That’s what I was talking about. If the pain had pushed me far enough to become frenzied...I would have killed you. Maybe for a moment you could have held me off, if the shock didn’t overcome you. But untrained as you are...I doubt it would have taken long.”

“But...wait…” Her brow furrows. “If...if you want to...to _kill_ everything when you’re frenzied...then how did anyone ever get t-turned?”

“You _can_ \- with enough training, diligence, and self-control - learn to master your frenzied state, and keep your mind. But it takes a long time, and even then not everyone can do it. Madara can. And others. But it’s a pretty rare ability, all things considered. Typically, yes...someone will die before they get turned. But obviously...I didn’t want to do either to you.”

Hearing Sasuke’s tone soften, Hinata in turn wilts just a bit.

“...I was struggling to stay in control enough, it may have been possible I’d infect you but not kill you. And that would have been a one-way ticket to death for us both. Turning a human - or...a witch, in your case - is one of the most important things forbidden by the mandates. Right up there with exposing our world to humans. If you’re caught turning someone...both you, and those you turn are immediately sentenced to death.”

Horrified hands lift to her mouth. “But...why?”

“To discourage it. In the past, mostly in the west, powerful Nightwalkers would turn entire armies of humans to use as cannon fodder in their territorial disputes. It led to so many senselessly lost lives...but that was before the mandates, when Nightwalkers were still out and about with humans. Nowadays, it’s illegal to keep such things from happening again...mostly to keep our world secret. That many humans going missing would make it so easy for us to be discovered. The lives lost are, sadly, a secondary threat comparatively.”

“...sometimes I forget how...brutal your world can be.”

Sasuke gives a grave nod. “We do our best to be civilized...and we are. But the way we’re forced to live means leaving no room for error. We have to be harsh...or we risk being wiped out as we nearly were before.”

“Back when people like me hunted you down…”

He gives her a glance. “...that wasn’t really the case here. Miko were more like priestesses between humans and the ‘gods’...which were mostly Nightwalkers. Japan, for a long time, had one of the calmest relations between us. Not to say the stories of monsters weren’t true about us, of course. There have always been those who hunt or abuse humans. Just like some humans hunt and abuse us. But those like you actually helped keep that to a minimum.”

That seems to brighten her mood a bit.

“...so what about that question was odd?”

“...oh! Well, um…” Hinata then goes pink all over again. “That...t-technically wasn’t my...my _main_ question. I just...needed to...to understand all that first.”

“...okay.”

“What I..._wanted_ to ask you was...um…” Suddenly she seems far more hesitant. “W-what was it...like? Drinking blood, I-I mean.”

“...in general, or yours specifically?”

The blush is pretty telling.

“...for the most part, we don’t feed on people directly. There’s donors. Or animal byproduct. It doesn’t have to be human, but human is more...sustaining? As for you _specifically…_” It’s Sasuke’s turn to pause. “...well, I’m guessing it’s because you’re a witch, but it had a far more...intense flavor than any other human I’ve had.”

“R...really?”

He nods. “And it was a lot more potent. I expected it would let me get past the silver aspect and start to heal...but by the time I left, the wound was _completely_ gone. Didn’t even leave a scar.”

Pale eyes go wide. “Is...is that not normal?”

“Not that I’ve ever heard, no. Which is why _that_ aspect of you is something I’ve kept from Madara completely. No telling what he’d do if he knew about that.”

“Does..._anyone_ know?”

“Just my brother, but he’ll take it to his grave. And I already told you, I’m not doing that again.”

“Even if it might save your life?”

“Not if it puts yours in danger. I’ve done that enough,” he replies solemnly.

...she doesn’t have a retort for that.

“...so, that answer all your questions?” he asks, giving her an inquiring glance.

“...for now, I guess.”

“You’ve been awfully full of them lately.”

After a pause, Hinata heaves a heavy sigh. “...I guess I’m just...trying to understand things better than I did before. Back before...well, _recent e-events_, I was trying to keep myself a bit...distant. Just in case. But now that we’ve crossed that bridge...I don’t see any harm. If anything...it will be better for me to know. To be...prepared.”

Sasuke wilts a bit. “...guess you have a point.” He stares off for a long moment. “...does it scare you?”

“...it did. But...the more I learn, the more...at ease I feel. Maybe I’ll never be...fully informed, or fully used to it. But I think I can adapt enough to be...okay with it.” There’s a pause, and then she gives him a smile. “...besides, h-how else am I going to stay with you, right?”

Sasuke actually flinches in surprise, heart skipping a beat. Did...did she mean…? Trying to fight back a flustered flush, he clears his throat. “Yeah...you’re right. Just, uh...wonder if I’m the best teacher. My brother might be better for it. He’s more the type to explain than me.”

“I think you’ve done okay so far!”

“Yeah, well...you also have no way to know any better.”

“...true.”

“Well, if you don’t have anything else, you better get to bed, huh?”

At that, Hinata pouts, rubbing a hand against her face. “Ugh...don’t r-remind me...I have an exam in the morning…”

“Then you _definitely_ need to get to bed. We can have more Nightwalker lessons another night, all right?”

“I’d rather learn about that than literature...it’s not even part of my m-major…”

“...what _is_ your major?”

“Horticulture. So...unless I’m going to be reading some stories about plants, I...r-really don’t care. I mean, I like to read...but not what I’m stuck reading…”

That gets Sasuke to snicker. “Well...either way, you need to pass. Which means you need to sleep. How come you weren’t studying…?”

“I did that last night. I always take the night before a test off. If I cram, I always do worse, for some reason…”

“...huh. Well, I’ll expect a report on your grade when you get it. If you bomb it, no more Nightwalker lessons.”

“What?!”

“Your human education’s a bit more pressing,” he retorts with a grin. “You’re paying money for that. I’m teaching you this stuff for free.”

Her arms fold with a pout. “You sound like my d-dad…”

“I’m a concerned friend. I’m allowed to care about your education.”

“...did you ever go to college?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“But I want to know!”

“No, I haven’t. Never needed to. But maybe I’ll go someday when I get especially bored. But not right now. Right now, that’s _your_ job.”

“All right, all right...I’ll go. But if I do well, I get another lesson.”

“Whatever you say.”

**Author's Note:**

> More Nightwalkers crossover! A bit more introspective on how some of this world's lore works...and a sprinkling of some shippiness ;3 Hinata, that's an awfully interesting question, my dear...I wonder why it's on her mind...
> 
> (I actually thought of a big plot point to have at the 'finale' of this storyline while writing this, so...that's good xD)
> 
> Anyway, you might notice I'm really early for once! Well...still several days behind, but for today I'm early! I have a VERY busy day ahead of me tomorrow so I gotta crash early, so...here I am getting things done at a decent hour for once xD Doubt it will last, but hey, one good day is still good lol
> 
> But on that note, I DO need to head off for now. Thanks for reading!


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